Your Life Begins Today
by RaspberryMargarita
Summary: TWEWY. Surviving the UG changes you, not always for the better. Signs of the Game are showing up in the RG, signs only the ex-Players can see. How long do they have until the wall between Life and Death is completly gone? Spoiler Heavy. Chp. 3 now up!
1. Three Months Later

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends with You/ It's a Wonderful World or any of the characters/places/or concepts within. They're owned by Square-Enix and Jupiter, respectively, and are not being used for profit. The plot and any characters/places/ or concepts not used in said game belong to me and may not be used without permission.

* * *

**Chapter 1- Three Months Later**

_If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something _- Murphy's 8th Law.

When the world shifted once again, Sakuraba Neku couldn't really say he was surprised.

The sharp, synthetic sounds of birthing Noise hit his ears and the flustered teen was moving without a second thought. Fingers moved to the pins on his side bag, while the familiar gestures of various psychs worked themselves out in his other hand. He moved with practiced grace, spinning on his heels to catch his attacker with a slash-

"What the HELL kid?"

Neku blinked in dull shock when his open hand thumped into the chest of a rather peeved office worker. The man stared down at the teen, one prematurely graying eyebrow arched and a slight scowl on his face.

Neku stared right back up at him, blue eyes first widening, then slitting in a well worn and practiced glare. "Get outta my space." He shot back, voice slipping into familiar deadpan. It was so easy to do, even now, and why waste the talent? He turned away quickly before the man could reply, fighting to keep the embarrassed blush off his face.

The Noise static coming off the man got louder. But Neku couldn't blame him. He HAD just been judo chopped by some random high schooler on a random crowded street, after all.

Part of him wondered what the mans story was; why were the Noise clinging to him like a second skin, even to the point of giving off vibes here in the RG? But another part just wanted to forget the whole fiasco. Just because he had a better acceptance of people now didn't mean he understood them any better. What was he, a psychiatrist? He had done his universe required hero bit.

But the buzzing static still echoed in his ears, both from the office worker and from various other passersby. A constant steady hum, like a million mechanical mosquitoes that only he could hear. Mosquitoes that liked to show up the moment he thought a normal life might just be do-able.

Neku wondered, not for the first time, if this was all some cosmic joke. It was the kind of ironic teasing he wouldn't put past Joshua; not telling him, -them-, about this lovely little side affect of their rebirths. Of course Joshua hadn't really told them ANYTHING. There had only been the crack of a gunshot, the smell of burning flesh. Then the waking, sore and confused, in the middle of the Scramble. It wasn't like there was a manual to this shit, at least not one HE had access to.

All that he had was that insane buzzing, that prickling on the back of his neck, the rush of wind like someone rushing past him that was never there. Feeling a Game going on around him that he couldn't see, couldn't touch, but that affected him all the same.

And he knew, somewhere, there was a certain Composer that was watching all of this and giggling.

But, regardless of how much the entire process pissed him the hell off, he had other things to worry about. Like the fact that his little side trip was going to make him late meeting up with his friends.

The thought hit him like a ton of gold plated bricks. Friends. It was an alien but wonderful concept that still snuck up on him, even these few months later. The idea that there were people, even a few, that kept showing up, kept waiting for him... was staggering. The scowl that he had been sporting faded to a more relaxed little smile as he walked.

His concern about how late he was faded pretty quickly to annoyance though once Hachiko came into view with only the tiny figure of Rhyme sitting in the dog's shadow.

The slightly tweeked teen picked up his pace, wriggling his way through the crowd to reach the younger girl. "Neku! There you are." She smiled sweetly up at the older boy, her head cocked to one side.

Neku sighed, pinching his nose lightly. Rhyme was a sweet kid, and regardless of their age difference he considered her one of his close friends. Which in turn made him all the more annoyed.

They all had gotten into the habit of meeting up at the loyal statue before school. And so little Rhyme was dressed in the junior- high uniform, complete with pleated skirt and bow, unlike her normal Beat-mimicked tomboy gear. There was no way to mistake the blond for a boy now. Which made the absence of her ever looming older brother, ever vigilant for various real and imagined perverts, particularly odd.

"Gah! Where's your brother so I can smack him?" He hissed, letting his hand drop from his face.

Rhyme's smile devolved to a sheepish look, her fingers tenting in front of her face as if she was the one in trouble instead of Beat. "Err... Niisan's in morning detention." She replied.

Neku paused for a long moment, letting the news sink in. "What?! What for?" It wasn't that he was too surprised that the ever delinquent Beat was in trouble, though they had been making progress in calming down the sometimes violent teens outbursts. It was the fact that Shiki shared quite a few classes with the blond, and if something had happened in class he would of heard about it before now.

"Hmm." Rhyme tapped her fingers for a moment before answering. "He... he punched a janitor after school, when he was picking me up."

Neku blinked at her in shock, but her hands flew up, stopping him from talking. "It's not his fault! He said that man was...bad... you know..." She gestured vaguely at the air, and something told Neku that it wasn't because she couldn't find the word.

He stared at her and mouthed one word: Noise?

Rhyme nodded somberly, her fingers moving to her lap and restarting their nervous tapping. "Something about the guy was a little weird, yeah. But when he happened to come near us Niisan just... lost it. Put him down. I've never seen him go after someone like that. He said something about the guy 'rubbed him funny'. I just don't know... He didn't press charges, but since it was on school grounds he got a week's detention before school."

She sighed, looking at her hands. "He wanted me to stay at the school until first bell, but I knew you and Shiki would be wondering where we were, so..." She looked back up at Neku, her worried frown becoming a slightly coy smile. He rolled his eyes. She had known just how Neku was going to react to their unplanned disappearance; the girl was just a clever as her brother was dense. It all kind of evened out.

"Alright! Fine. I'm not mad..." He tossed his hands up in a surrendering gesture, plopping down next to Rhyme. "But what about Shiki? I thought-"

"I'm here! I'm here!" A voice cut through the babble of the busy street, and Neku looked up to see a frantic Shiki running towards them, waving her arms like she planned on taking off.

"Oh good! You guys haven't left yet!" She skidded to a stop in front of them, panting lightly to catch her breath. Neku arched a brow at the breathless teen, watching as she blushed and pushed her glasses back up her nose. "Sorry, Sorry! I didn't mean to be late, but I wanted to finish something up before class and- Where's Beat?"

Neku groaned at his spastic friend as Rhyme retold the epic of 'Beat vs. The Janitor'. Shiki frowned, looking worried. "Do you think he really saw something? I mean, yeah sometimes I get goosebumps, but ATTACKING someone?"

"Of COURSE he did!" Rhyme retorted, standing sharply. "Dai- BEAT, wouldn't hit someone for no reason! He's not a bad person!"

Neku stood as well, quickly putting a hand on each girls shoulder. It seemed that Rhyme's protective urges were just as strong as her brothers. "Whoa. Calm down. She didn't mean anything by it, did you Shiki?"

Shiki looked a bit hurt for a moment by Rhyme's outburst, but recovered quickly. "Of course not. I'd never say something bad about Beat. He's my friend. I'm sorry." She smiled reassuringly at the younger Bito.

Rhyme quickly relaxed, nodding. "Sorry Shiki. This whole thing's put me on edge. Mom and Dad are really mad." Her tiny shoulders slumped, and Neku couldn't help feeling bad for her. The siblings were still fighting to rebuild the bridges years of parent-child fighting had burnt down. It hadn't been easy, but it finally seemed they had been making headway. This fight must have been pretty rough to put the younger sibling off so much.

"Well. Maybe I can make up for it, kay?" Shiki said with a grin. Rhyme cocked her head to one side as Shiki reached into her backpack, pulling out something soft and orange looking.

Neku's eyes widened and Rhyme squealed in delight. It was a life-sized Squirrel-Noise doll, complete with carefully stitched graffiti swoops on the legs and wings. Rhyme clutched the toy to her chest, looking much more the pre-adolescent girl she was than normal.

Neku looked over at Shiki, questions in his eyes. She shrugged back at him, smiling.

Rhyme, as far as they could tell, had no memory of her time as a Noise. But within a week of their return sketches and doodles of the creature had begun appearing on her notebooks. Beat had been near frantic with worry, but after the elder friends talked it over they decided it was just a harmless regressed memory of her time as a pin. In fact, it had almost become a mascot to the group, though Beat would occasionally stare at the drawings with all too-shiny eyes.

"So that's what you were working on?" Neku asked, a smile on his lips and a hand on one hip. Shiki blushed again, nodding.

"Wow Shiki! Thank you!" Rhyme was grinning ear-to-ear, previous family related angst forgotten. "She's so cute! You're really talented." Shiki's blush deepened, and Neku could of sworn he saw her kick at the ground, just a little.

But the fluffy moment was all too soon crushed by Neku happening to glance at the clock on his MP3 player.

"Shit!" The curse flew out of his mouth, causing the girls to jump and turn their gazes towards him. "We got 15 minutes guys! We gotta go. NOW." Shiki gulped, and Rhyme hurriedly tucked the doll in her pack. It was a good 25 minute walk to the school. If they were lucky, and the streets weren't too heavy, they could make it. Maybe.

Neku spun on his heels and took off at a dead run, looking over his shoulder to make sure the girls were following. He was happy to see they had no issues keeping up, even Rhyme with her shorter legs was booking. The three darted between the throng of people like only Shibuya natives could.

And so it came as a bit of a shock when Neku heard a yelp of surprise followed by a squawk of pain. The teen skid to a stop, nearly hitting a pediatrician, and turned to make sure no one was hurt.

And there was Shiki, being helped up by Rhyme and holding her ankle. Neku ran back, dropping to his knees next to his friend. "You ok?" He asked, his voice managing to keep cool and calm, even though her yell had nearly scared him to death.

He gingerly touched her ankle, noticing it was already swelling to the size of a baseball. Damn, but she held up rather well considering how much it had to hurt. "Y-Yeah. I think so... I... think I tripped over something." She stood for a moment, then relented and leaned on Rhyme's offered shoulder, regardless of the fact that she wasn't tall enough to give much in the way of physical support.

Neku found the culprit easily enough. A discarded shoe in the middle of the sidewalk, sitting all alone in front of a graffiti covered alleyway. He picked the offender up, turning it around in his hands. It looked like an everyday sneaker. A Wild Boar skater-shoe if you wanted to get technical (And the fact that he knew that much about brands now kinda scared Neku, just a little).

He looked around, wondering how someone older then three could lose a shoe without noticing. His eyes fell to the alley, and a young man staring up at the mural inside it.

The man looked younger than 20, but older then Neku, with even more Boar gear to go with the partner to the girl attacking shoe. If he knew he was missing the sneaker he didn't show it, just watching the art like it held the secrets of the universe.

"Hey! You missing this?!" He called out to the man, holding the item up. He didn't respond. Didn't even seem to hear. Neku scowled. It was times like this he remembered why he had hated people so much.

"Come on! You could've killed someone with this thing!" This time his voice was more yell, and the man finally turned, eyes zoning right at Neku. At first he still didn't seem to really SEE Neku, but oh so slowly those eyes focused and a grin played on the formerly slack face. _'Oh shit, weirdo senses tingling...' _Neku began backing up slowly, watching the man with wary eyes. Last thing he needed was some perv coming after him-

- his thought was quickly cut off as the man darted towards him. So fast. TOO fast. Like something out of a bad Sci-fi movie. There then here in a blink. Neku barely had time to yell out a warning before the man gripped the collar of his uniform, dragging the shocked teen into the alley and tossing him against the painted brick wall.

The air in Neku's lungs gushed out as the man re-caught his collar, re-slamming him into the wall with even greater force. He was nearly lifted off his feet by the power of it, his shirt buttons popping violently. '_What. The. HELL!?' _His thoughts were panicked, but already starting to organize themselves. He wouldn't of made it though three weeks of hell if he couldn't think on his feet.

With a strangled yell his kicked forward, cracking his foot into the side of his attackers kneecap. A sickening pop filled the alley way, and a shriek of pain followed it. The man pitched to the side as his leg folded on it's self, allowing Neku to get untangled.

"NEKU!" Shiki's voice rang out, pulling his attackers gaze away from him. But there was no way in hell he was going to let this freak go after his friends. He owed them that much. With a terrified battle cry Neku rolled back at the man, fighting for a good hold. He wasn't going to let him up if he could help it, and for a moment he thought he had a hold of the thrashing man's wrists.

Until things got very, very, weird.

Flesh rolled and swelled under his finger tips, and Neku watched in horror as the tattoos covering those arms started to _move_. The black ink wriggled like a dozen pissed snakes, and when they pressed against his skin all he could managed was a shocked squeak.

That didn't feel like skin. Not HUMAN skin anyway. And as it pressed into his own flesh all he could hear was static.

'_Noise?! No...that's not-' _But apparently it was, because Neku suddenly felt like the world had turned upside down. He fell bonelessly to the ground, thrown by the tattooed man like a rag doll. _'Shit...he's fast AND strong...' _

The teen struggled to his feet, only to see the man topple back to the ground with a pissed off Shiki kneeling on his gut. Neku watched in dull wonder as the girl began beating his attacker about the head with her backpack. His wonder was short lived as the Noise-man managed to lift his arm, the tattoos seeming to pull free of his flesh and forming razor-sharp claws, superimposing them over hooked fingers.

"Shiki! Your right!" He screamed. Shiki reacted instantly, just like a good partner should, raising her backpack just in time for it to take the fatal attack meant for her. The claws sank into the material, sending books and papers flying instead of blood and other things. Neku's legs finally moved, and he was on the man's arm in a moment, fighting with everything he had to keep it down and away from his, or her, body.

And as he went to subdue, he saw Rhyme dart in, kicking at the man's head with just as much ferocity as her brother would. But no amount of ferocity was going to help them right now. The man seemed to _flex, _energy pulsing out from his body and sending the three ex-Players flying farther into the alley. _'God what I wouldn't give for a psych. Something. ANYTHING.' _But the pins had stopped working the moment they had stepped back into the RG, which was probably for the best.

Except for now, of course.

The man stood, seeming to tower over the teens. More and more of the tats were starting to move, and more and more of his form seemed to become... _flat_. Less flesh and blood and more ink and soul. Neku tensed, ready to throw himself at it's knees, give the girls a chance to run...

_CRACK!!_

The three teenagers watched, stunned, as the man's eyes rolled back into his head. The Noise-man stumbled for a second before collapsing in a shuddering heap.

Neku looked up in shock, coming eye-to-collarbone with a very pissed off Beat. The uniform clad skater had his board raised, and Neku could see a few splats of blood on the deck. "An' stay down. Bitch."

"Niisan!" Rhyme threw herself at her brother, who lost his enraged expression in exchange for a big grin. He caught the tiny girl, scooping her up into a nearly painful looking hug.

"Dammit Rhyme! I told ya to stay at the school, aight?! You coulda been hurt!" He continued to cling to the girl until her wriggling told him she needed air as much as anyone else. "Yo, you guys ok?"

Neku nodded, carefully stepping over the limp form of the semi-Noise. "Yeah... I think so."

Shiki limped after him, wincing with every step. Neku assumed she had only hurt herself more when she had dove at the crazed man. "Shit Shiki, this fuck do tha' to ya?" Beat asked, kicking lightly at the body.

"No, no! I tripped..." She crouched carefully, pushing at the body with her fingers. "Holy... Is he dead? How hard did you hit him Beat?!"

Beat flinched, arms shooting up as if to protect him from some verbal assault. "Whoa! I barely touched 'em! Anyways, guy was 'bout to go all Wolverine on you asses, what was I 'posed to do?!"

Neku rolled his eyes at his bickering friends. "Shut up, both of you. He's still breathing... just out cold." He wrapped his arms around himself, frowning down at the body. "We should get outta here, before anyone notices him or he wakes up and notices US."

The other three nodded and started making their way out of the odd graffitied alley, Shiki well behind. Beat watched at her for a moment before crouching down, arms stretched back. "Aight, get on."

Shiki blinked at him for a moment before turning bright red. "Nono! It's ok! I'm fine..."She waved her hands wildly, as if he was coming at her with a knife instead of offering help.

"Ah, stop ya squawk'n. I do this for Rhyme all da time. You ain't THAT much bigger." He smirked at her as her embarrassed red turned into angry red.

"That much!? Grr... fine. But don't drop me!" The blond cackled. "Nevah your highness."

She climbed on the taller teens back oh so carefully, and before long she was comfortably piggy-backing. She tucked her nose into the hair at the nape of his neck, now exposed without his hat, a pleased smile on her face. "Thank you, Beat." She cooed, voice sing-songy. It was Beats turn to turn red as he stood. "Ah, er, don' mention it. Ever."

Neku watched this, feeling like a royal ass for not offering to help Shiki himself. He was still getting used to this whole 'noticing others' bit after all. He fell in step with Rhyme, thinking worried thoughts.

"So why aren't you back at school Niisan?" Rhyme asked, her head cocked once again.

Beat glanced back with a anxious look. "'Tention ends a half hour before class. You'd run off an' these two weren't there yet... Thought... some'n might of happened. Good thing too, yo. Tha' Reaper woulda had your asses if I hadn' come looking for ya."

Neku snorted. "You so sure it was a Reaper?" Beat mimicked Neku's snort, badly at that. "Come on Phones! Course it was. Dude was a dude, not some fucked up kangaroo. What else 'e gonna be?"

Neku stayed silent at that. No point arguing over something neither could prove. They already had enough issues this morning.

The foursome chattered on, throwing out theories on what exactly had happened, but soon fell into a comfortable silence. If there was one thing they had all gained from those three weeks, it was the ability to see, and accept, just about anything.

But even with that subtle but useful power in hand, things were only going to get weirder.

* * *

The crowd in front of the school was just as thick as the ones out on the streets, and Neku seriously wondered if the universe was out to get him.

"Wha... What is this shit, yo?!" Beat yelped, mouth gaping like a dieing fish.

For once, Neku had to agree. It looked like every kid ages six and up was hanging out in front of the conjoined school, all with matching expressions of confusion and joy. They could hear a dozen different conversations going on around them, and the annoying clacking of quite a few games of Tin Pin. It was a virtual sea of green and white uniforms.

Shiki grinned, clapping her hands. "This is great! Now we won't be late after all!"

"Do you think there was a fire?" Rhyme asked, holding her chin in her hands and studying the buildings carefully. There didn't SEEM to be and flames or smoke, but who could tell with all these people in the way?

"Hold up, I got this." Beat chirped, snagging a passing student. The kid was 12 at most, and looked like he expected the over excited Beat to eat him here and now. "Yo, what the hell's going on?"

The kid squeaked, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. If Beat noticed the issue he didn't show it, instead giving the much smaller boy a friendly little shake. "Er...uhm... someone pulled the fire alarm." Beat blinked down at the kid, looking a little disappointed. "Aw man, that's it?" The flustered kid wriggled like a caught rabbit, but seemed to be getting into his story. "Yeah... all of them. At the same time."

The entire group gaped in surprise at THAT one. Beat let the frantic kid go, turning back to the others. "Holy shit! You hear that?! No fuckin' way!" Neku watched the ecstatic Beat bounce around, swearing he was seeing an over sized three year old on Christmas. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

"Gah... stop that. You look like a Prince fan-girl. They'll just make sure nothings going to blow-up, and then send us in like nothing happened. The Principal wouldn't let us off THAT easy. He doesn't believe in free days." Neku snorted, crossing his arms and watching Beat's face fall.

"Ahh...come on Phones. Ya don' have to be so cold 'bout it." Beat rubbed at his nose, looking the part of a chastised child. Shiki giggled a little, but looked a little saddened by Neku's more realistic assessment of the circus-like atmosphere.

"That's weird though... all at the same time? Is that even possible?" Shiki mimicked Rhyme's thoughtful pose, her glasses gleaming dramatically in the morning sunlight. "It has to be some kinda prank, right?"

But before anyone could offer any other theories the bell screamed, joined by dozens of disappointed voices, including Beat's.

They said their good-byes to Rhyme, who had to jog to catch up with her own class. The younger Bito was reluctant to go, the memory of the psychotic skater Noise still fresh in her mind, but a few whispered words and Beat's worn cell-phone pressed into her hands seemed to help. Neku feared for anyone who gave Rhyme any shit when she had a direct line to her brother at her fingertips. "Just speed-dial Shiki or Phones, kay. I be right there, got it?"

Rhyme giggled, assuring her over protective brother that she 'could take care of her self just fine.' But Neku knew no amount of reassurances was going to pry the images of 4-doors and concrete sharks from Beat's mind. He didn't blame him, not in the least.

The three remaining friends made their way into the crowded hallway, and as one their eyes fell onto the... thing... that covered most of the core hall wall.

It was a tag. One of the biggest ones Neku had ever seen outside of CAT's murals. The lines and swoops were sharp, the images popping with a kinda of sick life. The artists' talent was obvious, though it lacked the soul tugging quality of Neku's idol. It seemed to lean towards gray scale, making the rare dobs of color seem all the more eye catching and intense. And the location made it all the more surreal, even covering the main office's door and window.

It was huge, impossible and wonderful. Caught somewhere between inspiring and creepy, seeing as there wasn't any... subject. No logical design. Just maddening shapes that meant nothing and tried to convince you they meant everything.

The teachers' were hurrying their gawking students along, making sure no one got closer than five feet to the graffiti, which only made the hallway all the more crowded.

"Wow... is that one of Mr.- one of CAT's?" Shiki whispered, leaning against Neku lest anyone else hear.

"No way. Style's totally different. Not bad though. How the hell did it get here?" Neku replied in a equally low whisper, his face shock-slack.

"Was'n here this morning, Tha's for sure." Beat added in, rubbing the back of his head.

"But you were gone for what, a half hour? That's im-" Neku's words were quickly cut off by the jostling crowd and scowling teachers. It seemed any other theories would have to wait. Neku managed to get off a short wave to his friends before fighting his way to his first class, head ringing with a dozen different questions and not a single answer.

* * *

The first two classes of the day had done little to clear Neku's head. Talk of the phantom tagger was on everyone's lips, and the theory ranged from it being some new artists crazed bid for stardom, to an inside job by one of the teachers. Not to mention most everyone assumed the 'fire drill' was a cover for the vandal's activities. Neku couldn't really disagree. It DID seem a little too convenient.

As did the tattooed skater with a claw fetish.

He prayed for some kind of inspiration, some kind of divine input to what the hell was going on, and when exactly he had slipped into the Twilight Zone.

Literal divine intervention wasn't what he expected, but it was what he got, like it or not.

"Thinking deep thoughts Neku? How unlike you."

Said deep thinker jumped in his chair like he had been hit by a cattle prod. He never talked to anyone in this class. Hell he doubted the TEACHER knew his name... And that voice... He spun his chair around, thankful class hadn't started yet. That way, if he just happened to kill a certain pale haired teen, there'd be less witnesses.

"What the- Joshua! Some how I'm not surprised to see you." He snarled, glaring at his murderer.

Joshua sat there in the desk behind him, smiling and with his chin resting daintily in one long-fingered palm. The Composer watched Neku like he was some kind of especially delicious bug, giggling softly.

"Aw, didn't you miss your dear partner?" Joshua cooed, twisting a lock of hair between his fingers and looking as innocent as Judas.

"Not particularly." Neku grunted, crossing his arms and scowling. His former partner was just as infuriating as ever.

Joshua pouted, lacing his hands just under his chin. "You wound me Nekky, you really do."

Neku was just about to tear into the Composer for using Nao's nickname, when he was interrupted by... some girl he recognized but had never bothered to learn the name of. "Oh, is he giving you issues Joshy?"

"No, no. Don't worry about me Kaori..." Josh paused, giving Neku a meaningful look. "... I know just how to handle Neku."

Neku sputtered for a few moments, turning red as 'Kaori' started giggling. As soon as the girl sauntered away he turned his rage onto the violet eyed deity. "You realized people are going to start TALKING now, right?"

"I thought you didn't care what people think, Neku."

Neku groaned, hiding his face in his hands. It was impossible to talk to Joshua some times. "And HOW exactly did that girl know you? She an ex-Player?"

"Never met her before." he replied lazily.

Neku blinked, finally realizing the Composer was wearing a matching uniform to his own. Goddamn omnipotent powers.

"Anyway, I would think you'd be a bit more appreciative." Joshua purred, tapping his chin with a finger.

"For what? Killing me?" He hissed, voice all spit and hellfire.

"For making sure you weren't late for school today." Joshua leaned back, arms going behind his head.

"That was YOU?!"

"How else would all the alarms go off at once? Use your head Neku. Of course it was written down as a electric glitch." Josh yawned, tapping a foot to some nameless beat under the desk.

"And the tag?" Neku added, looking at the other boy cautiously.

"That's actually why I'm here. Like I said, thinking may not be your strongest point, but I know you must of noticed the similarities between it and another."

Neku sighed, wishing he had kept his prayers to himself. "Goddammit, do you always have to talk in riddles?"

Joshua said nothing, only stared at him with oddly serious eyes.

Growling, Neku fought to remember what the hell Joshua was getting at. Like another...

"The alley!" He slapped a fist into his palm, his scowl deepening. "I should of seen it before, shit!"

"Yes, you should of." Joshua added, a teasing lithe in his voice.

"... it wasn't you, was it?"

"Do you need to ask?" The Composer shrugged, grinning.

"Alright..." Neku slumped, surrendering. It was the only way to figure out what had attacked him. Better to make a deal with the figurative devil then to get jumped again. "What do you want?"

Joshua laughed, that tinkling laugh that was both enduring and infuriating at the same time.

"Isn't it obvious Neku? I need you to save the world."

Of course.

Of fucking course.

* * *

AN: For anyone who was thrown off by the use of the word 'Niisan' in this fic, I'm really sorry. Blame the rp I'm in that includes a Rhyme and Beat... Niisan just popped up and I'm just can't imagine the two without it now. Heh, forgive me?

Anyway, first TWEWY fic and first fic in a few years, so I hope my writings not to stiff. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by next week if things go well.

Here's to hoping for a TWEWY section on here soon!


	2. The Problem with Psychs

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends with You/ It's a Wonderful World or any of the characters/places/or concepts within. They're owned by Square-Enix and Jupiter, respectively, and are not being used for profit. The plot and any characters/places/ or concepts not used in said game belong to me and may not be used without permission.

* * *

**Chapter 2- The Problem with Psychs**

_The moment you have worked out an answer, start checking it-- it probably isn't right _- Berkeley's 11th Law

Kiryu Joshua, Angel, Composer, and general mysterious pretty boy, was an asshole.

That thought swam around in Neku's head, over and over. His mind would wonder for a moment, only to return to that single idea like a dog worrying a bone. Chewing and chewing but never making a dent. During that second week he had started to, well, not _like_, per say, but _accept_, the strange teen. He had felt that Joshua somehow understood him, in a weird way. In hindsight he knew that was the whole reason the Composer had chosen him. Not because he was some kind of psych genius, but because they thought alike. Joshua was like some kind of dark mirror of his old self, throwing his philosophy on the world back at him, therefore making him see the flaws in it. And in turn, changing Joshua's view on Shibuya, and the Game in general.

Or so he assumed, it was all still here after all. Something had changed. He doubted the Composer was one to make world destroying threats lightly.

And then sacrificing himself like some kind of New Age Jesus, all as part of some kind of twisted chess game. It had meant nothing, but to Neku it had changed everything.

Asshole.

Neku mumbled the curse to himself, snarling down at his assignment. The light sound of Joshua's laughter hit his ears, as if the angel could hear every thought and found it quite amusing, thank you.

Joshua was still sitting behind him when class started, and Neku couldn't help a slight jump when the Composer's name was read right along with everyone else's during roll call. Not to mention being given a commendation for 'Perfect Attendance' for the year so far. And during the entire class he could feel those purple eyes digging at the back of his head, making goosebumps prick up all along his neck. Another chuckle, and Neku tensed as a thin arm reached over him and a tiny poof of breath hit his ear. Joshua's pencil tapped at the assignment, leaving little marks on it.

"You forgot the third part of the formula, Neku. Do you _want_ to gt an F?" Joshua's breath tickled, and Neku bristled.

"You do this shit on purpose, don't you?" He hissed, turning red as a few of the classes girls giggled at the two of them.

"Do what?" Joshua replied, hands held up in surrender. "Anyway, you better pay attention, the teacher doesn't look happy."

Neku looked up, gulping at the teacher's glare. Of COURSE she didn't notice Joshua groping him, only the talking afterwards.

Asshole. Assholeassholeasshole.

The rest of the class didn't go any easier, with Joshua finding various new and devious ways to annoy him, all without ever getting caught. Neku knew Josh only did it because it aggravated him so much, and that if he just stopped reacting it would stop. But DAMN he wanted to smear that smile right off his face. Just once.

The bell rang, and Neku couldn't be happier. He gathered up his paper, eyes tracking Joshua, lest the other teen try a disappearing act. Josh didn't seem to be going anywhere, instead chatting up a few girls. Neku sighed, pinching his nose and approaching. The Composer shooed the ladies away, giving his proxy a pleased look.

"Your classmates are charming Neku. It makes me wonder how you managed being such a social dullard for so long."

"Oh cut the crap. Let's get to the point." Neku grumbled, shoving his side-bag higher onto his shoulder.

"Ah, ah." Joshua tsked, wagging his finger at the teen. "I hate repeating myself Neku. We'll talk at lunch, with the other's present. It will make everything much easier. See you then?" His voice was sing-songy, and with a quick turn he was walking away, conversation closed.

Neku stared at him for a long moment, arguing whether or not to say something. "Wait."

Joshua blinked, turning around to stare at the other boy. Neku swallowed a lump in his throat, readying himself.

"Thank you. I know it was all just a game to you, and I don't know if I can ever forgive you for that. But... It meant something to me. Something... changed. And I guess I have you to thank for it." He was bright red, and part of him hated admitting that he owed Josh anything. But he wasn't the type to not give credit where it was due.

The Composer's eyes widened, and one delicate hand rose to cover his mouth; for just a moment, he looked... surprised.

Neku held that image in his mind; he was sure it wasn't something that happened often. Just as quickly as it appeared, the shock was gone, replaced by a smug smile.

"I see you're finally starting to understand. Later Neku." Joshua strolled away, and Neku watched him go.

And he wasn't at all surprised when the angel turned a corner and was gone.

* * *

"Save the world? Are you sure that's what he said Neku?" Shiki nibbled on her lunch, watching Neku with concerned brown eyes.

Neku nodded, staring at his own food. He didn't have an appetite BEFORE the issue of world saving came up, let alone now.

"Man, fuck him! Bro capped you Phones! You don' owe em nothin'." A snarling Beat added before shoving a mouthful of some kind of noodle into his face.

Neku sighed, running a hand through his hair. Beat had a point, surprisingly enough. But still... "He was my partner Beat. And... I owe him, let's just leave it at that."

"And hey, maybe he knows what was going on with that nut in the alley! It can't hurt to hear him out." Shiki added, pointing a chopstick a the skater.

"Ah... really Daisukenojo, you should listen to the lady. It would do you good in the end."

Beat was up and moving the moment he heard his name, knocking over his chair and spinning to confront the voice. Unfortunately he was turned the wrong way, as Joshua was already seated at a conveniently placed fourth chair.

"Hm. Sit down, you're making a fool of yourself." The Composer added, smiling sweetly up at the taller boy. Neku quickly took hold Beat's lower arm, seeing as the skater looked close to rabid. Beat gave a small growl before sitting, glaring daggers at the pale-haired teen across from him. Joshua simply giggled.

"Ooo! So fiery Daisuke'! Make sure to save some for the issues at hand." Joshua purred, rubbing his chin with his finger tips.

"Don'. Call me. That." Beat hissed between tightly clenched teeth, his eyes blazing. Neku moved his hand up, digging the nail of his thumb into the crook of Beat's elbow. The taller teen hissed again, this time in surprised pain, before quieting down into a sulking pout.

"Ok Joshua. Spill it, what's going on?!" Neku gave the Composer a pointed look, finally releasing Beat.

"Hehe. Calm down, I'm getting to it." Joshua replied, waving a hand at the flustered teens.

"Please Joshua..." Shiki's vice was pleading, her glasses sliding down her nose. "We don't have a lot of time till lunch is over!" Joshua blinked, then nodded.

"Very well. First though, a science lesson."

"Holy... I'm gonna kill this kid!" Beat threw his arms up, making to vault the table, only to squeak in dismay as Neku's sneaker heel buried itself into the top of his foot.

"As I'm sure you all have learned in school, energy can not be destroyed, only changed." Joshua lectured, looking pleased with the confused faces across from him.

"The same is true for the soul. In fact the soul is the truest form of energy. Channeled into imagination there is little it can not accomplish. You've all seen this for yourselves."

"The pins, right? And psychs?" Shiki offered, looking hesitant.

"Correct." Joshua grinned, happy with this new teacher game. "But not only that. The Noise as well. The Noise are the fractured bits of soul, set adrift when a person dies. Eventually those bits would be re-absorbed into the world, waiting to be reborn. At least that was how it was originally supposed to go. But no-one could really predict how...tenacious a soul could be. The Noise flocked to those with sorrows and darkness on their hearts, using the energy to sustain themselves."

"Sorrow and Darkness? Sounds like a chessy video game." Neku snorted, arching a brow at the Composer.

A glare from Joshua. "The Noise, like any living thing, desire only to survive and reproduce. And it is because of this that we have the current problem."

"Wait a minute! What about the Reapers! And Players? How do they fit in all this?" Neku demanded, his fist clenching. Why the madness of the Game? Why?

Joshua giggled. "It's not important to the current situation Neku. Don't you want a little mystery in your life?" Joshua paused, seeming to ponder on what to say next. "They... have found a way to posses living people in a much more literal way then before. Instead of simply influencing the hosts emotions, they have literally gained control of their bodies."

A long moment of silence filled the table, as the teens stared at the Composer.

"Wait...What?!" The silence was broken by a very confused looking Beat, who just stared at Joshua like he had grown a second head.

"That's... impossible. The Noise aren't... smart enough... for something like that, are they?" Neku asked, looking at Joshua carefully.

"You'd be surprised what a creature will do to survive. But generally you're right." The Composer purred.

"So...someone has to be helping them?" Shiki asked. Her teeth were worrying at a thumbnail, and her eyes flicked from person to person.

"Yes. I think so." Joshua's amused expression fell slightly, his brow wrinkling.

"If you know all of this, then why do you need us? Send some Reapers after them or something." Neku's voice was just above a growl; he didn't need the Game starting up again, just when he was getting things sorted out.

Joshua sighed dramatically. "You know I can't do that Neku... Reapers are not allowed to attack the living. It's against the rules. And by attacking the Noise..." He waved with his long fingered hands, leaving the rest to their imaginations. "If we could find the source, that would be different. They are a threat to both the UG and the RG and would be dealt with without mercy. But until then, these...Hosts... are thinning out the walls between the two planes. If left unchecked, well. I'm sure you can guess the results."

"So it's you! You're the one making us...feel... the UG!" Neku's hands slammed on the table, making the other two jump.

Joshua laughed.

"Hardly. That's you my dear Neku. Your time in the Underground has changed all of you. Your frequencies have changed, just a bit. I had nothing to do with it, it's entirely natural." He smirked, "Like puberty."

No one really had anything to say to that.

"But... we don't have our psychs anymore. And the pins don't work." Shiki whispered, "We're helpless, that man in alley almost killed us..."

"Not quite. Your psychs and pins DO still work, you just don't know how to MAKE them work."

Neku was really starting to agree with Beat; he was going to KILL this kid.

"Your pacts are still intact." Joshua hooked the fingers on both of his hands together, tugging them tight. "There are very few things that can break that bond. THAT is how you can use your psychs in the Realground."

"Yeah, dat really hel-" Beat tirade was suddenly interrupted by the chirp of a phone. Shiki's phone to be exact. All eyes turned to the girl as she flipped it open and set it to speaker.

The only sound was static. A familiar skin-prickling static.

And the number on the phone was Beat's.

* * *

Honestly Neku had never seen Beat run so fast.

He and Shiki watched the skater bolt ahead of them and out the high-school doors, a look of mixed terror and rage on his face. Neku wanted to be straight on his heels, but Shiki was still hurt, and he wouldn't dream of leaving her behind. She could run, thank god, but they couldn't match the panicked flight of Beat.

And of course, Joshua was much farther back, strolling along like nothing was at all wrong.

They darted through the doors, just in time to see Beat duck into the neighboring junior-high building.

"Damnit!" Neku hissed, following after. He glanced back at Shiki, and was surprised to see her pulling Mr. Mew from her backpack. "What are you-"

"Joshua said we can use our psychs Neku! We have to be ready, for Rhyme!"

He nodded, fingering the pins on his bag. There was still nothing. No charge, no pull. Nothing at all. If Joshua was lying...

They made their way into the quiet building,not a student in sight. Lunch was still going on here as well. Neku looked around frantically for the missing skater, seeing nothing.

"Graaahhh!!"

"Neku! This way!" Shiki grabbed his arm, yanking him in the direction of the scream. They ran through the halls, their footfalls echoing eerily.

"Nnnhh."

They skidded to a stop in front of a classroom, the sounds of a fight reaching their ears even through the door. Neku shoved the door open with a grunt, and for a moment couldn't move from shock.

They had found Beat alright. The teen was down on one knee, his arm raised in a defensive stance. Blood and sweat poured from various long and jagged gashes on said arm and else where, as well as from the claws of what looked at one time to be a gang of pre-teens. They were possessed, and were must further along than the skater. Their flesh was almost entirely covered in the writhing tattoos, and their bodies seemed warped and not quite there. Not real.

And behind Beat was a very unconscious Rhyme.

Beat's eyes met Neku's, a look of pure terror and desperation in them.

"Phones! DO something!" The teen screamed as one of the Hosts leaped for him, sinking those claws back into his arm.

Neku moved, teeth gritted. He didn't care that he had no psychs, no real way to fight these things. One of his partners was in trouble, and everything in him screamed to act.

The next few moments were a blur.

He darted forward, pushing off the ground in a familiar movement, and was hit with... a sound.

_Sounds of heavy bass and oddly discordant cords. Something thrumming and hard. A woody smell and a flash of green behind his eyeballs. _

He moved...and slashed. An arch of energy flowed from his finger tips, tearing into the Host and sending it reeling back, a trail of blood in its wake.

His pins hummed. Finally they hummed.

Neku turned to Beat, concerned. There was a lot of blood. So much blood. But Beat was standing. And..._glowing._ An aura of green surrounded the teen, flicking like flame. And suddenly Neku knew... that rush of sensation was _Beat._ He didn't understand it, but it was somehow the...pure sense of Beat, regardless of how little that made sense. The other teen snagged a chair from one of the desks, and it too seemed to glow.

Neku remembered Beat's psych, the pin that imbued his skateboard. He had always assumed it only worked on the board, but apparently he was wrong. Beat grinned at him.

And they attacked.

He lunged towards the one he had slashed, battering it repeatedly with arches of pale purple power. The kid shreaked, though the sound wasn't anything a kid should ever make. It was flung back into the desks, falling over itself and groaning in dismay.

Meanwhile Beat launched himself at the next closest one, a battle-cry on his lips. The chair didn't..flow... the same way his board did, but it would do in a pinch. He swung, putting all his muscle and energy into it. The kid seemed to... fold... into itself, spittle flying from it's lips. He didn't give it a chance to recoup, pulling the chair back and smashing it over the Host's head. A burst of static and a SHAPE was flung from the small body. The shape crackled before dissolving in static like a normal Noise.

On the other side of the room, Neku began firing spreading shots at the first kid. They hit home, and another staticy shape faded. But before Neku could celebrate his victory a bolt of pain bloomed in his lower back. A claw tore at his flesh, aiming for his vulnerable spine.

"Neku!!"

That voice hit his ears, mixed with an airy tune. _It was full of pleasing notes, rising and falling sounds. Scents of sweetness and something vaguely milky with a flash of pink._

'Shiki!' He thought wildly, just as a black shape full of claws and hellfire attacked the Host tearing at his back. He spun in time to see Mr. Mew finish off the thing before going after another.

He nodded at the faintly glowing girl grimly before joining in the melee.

Both his partners sounds mixed in his ears as he fought, becoming something almost resembling music. It was wonderful and terrifying, reminding him of that last attack against the Draco Cantus. It had been something of amazing power, and something told him this was some kind of smaller cousin.

They fought together, moving in almost perfect sync. And before long the kids fell, the Noise gone.

The three of them stood there, breathing heavy and bleeding all over the nice title floors.

A sound of clapping and a giggle.

"Good work, Neku. Now we can REALLY get down to business."

* * *

AN: Thanks to everyone who read and review the first chap! I took one of your's advice and added a spoiler warning to the first chapter, so I hope that helps. Hope to see you all next chapter, where nothing gets explained and more people get injured. Yay!


	3. Flip Side: Job Satisfaction

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends with You/ It's a Wonderful World or any of the characters/places/or concepts within. They're owned by Square-Enix and Jupiter, respectively, and are not being used for profit. The plot and any characters/places/ or concepts not used in said game belong to me and may not be used without permission.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Flip Side- Job Satisfaction**

_1.If we lose much by having things go wrong, take all possible care. _

_2.If we have nothing to lose by change, relax. _

_3.If we have everything to gain by change, relax. _

_4.If it doesn't matter, it does not matter. _

-Hill's Commentaries on Murphy's Laws 

* * *

For the first time in his afterlife, Koki Kariya could honestly say he hated his job.

It wasn't that it was really that much different than before. He'd wake up, shower, eat, meet up with Uzuki, and start a new day of bothering Players.

It really wasn't that different.

Except-

"Nggh Finally... found you."

Kariya sighed, turning slowly to eyeball whoever it was that had made it to his favorite perch atop the 104 building.

There were two teenagers panting and sweating, and both glaring at his general direction. Their Player pins were proudly displayed, and Kariya couldn't help another sigh.

"You do realize you're only supposed to _reach _104, not _climb _it, right?"

The older looking of the two, Iori, if he remembered correctly, smirked, wiping a bead of sweat from his lip.

"Exactly. We take you out today, no more missions. We win, got it?" Iori explained, cockiness dripping with every word. His partner, Kensuke, didn't seem as sure. But he was standing with his partner, ready to fight.

What a bother.

"And you Reapers can't attack us until day 7. Easy pickings." Iori crossed his arms over his chest, and Kariya wondered if he really came up with this plan, or if it was his calmer, and arguably smarter looking companion.

"So you'll attack a basically unarmed man? How trite." Kariya replied, drawing on his lollipop. He rolled his eyes at the two, looking and feeling rather bored with the whole affair.

"Not any worse then what you Reapers been doing!" Iori hissed, hefting what appeared to be a baseball bat. Kariya could almost smell the Soul hovering around the weapon. Interesting.

"All right then. How about a game then?"

"...We're already in a Game." Kensuke offered, fingers brushing his Player pin.

"Not THE Game, of course. Not a mission either. Something special for you and me. Do you really think I couldn't just _leave _if you attack me?"

The two Players looked at each other, a wordless conversation moving between them.

"A real simple one that even you two can grasp." Kariya played idly with his sucker stick, smirking at the two Players before reaching into the pocket of his hoodie. In his hand rested a small black pin with a white design on it.

"You two simply have to take down one Noise of my choice. I don't interfere with you, and you focus completely on the Noise. You win, and you'll be except from missions from the rest of the week. No timer, no repercussions. All you have to do is take me out on Day 7. Got me? "

Iori's face broke out in a grin. It was that simple!? "You're on!" He bellowed, hefting his weapon. Kensuke glared at his Partner, but didn't say anything.

Kariya chuckled. "Alight then. Game on."

He tossed the pin one final time, and as it hit the flesh of his palm, it activated. A rush of visible static erupted from his hand, building and condensing in front of Iori and Kensuke. The two Players gaped up at the shape forming, watching as it grew, and grew and grew. The bright pink shape of a Mammoth R & B appeared, it's giant elephant feet cracking the concrete below it.

The look on the Player's faces was priceless.

Kariya back up slowly, chewing on the white paper stick between his teeth. He really didn't want to get hit by the backlash from that thing. He hopped up onto a heating unit, leaning back to watch.

Iori and Kensuke traded another glance, their eyes set, before charging.

Kariya had to admit, he was impressed. Kensuke had figured out the pattern of the Noise's footfalls pretty quickly, darting left and right to avoid the worse of the shockwaves. He tossed off a psych whenever he got the chance, which wasn't often. Meanwhile, in the alternate plane, Iori was doing just as well, though with quite a different strategy. He was taking the attacks with his bat, diffusing the wave enough that it couldn't really hurt him. Kariya flipped his sight back and forth between the two, amused, but not really concerned. It was only a matter of- ahhh... There it was.

It was Kensuke that finally slipped up. He had gotten frustrated, like so many Players do, at not doing any real damage to the oversized Noise. The boy might have been smart, but everyone makes mistakes. He pressed the attack, charging a psych for a second too long, holding his position to get it off.

When the shockwave hit him, it wasn't pretty.

He was flung back, the sound of his back hitting concrete and his breath being shoved out of his body was surprisingly loud over the whipping wind. Kensuke groaned, fighting to get back to his feet, only to tossed once again by the next attack. And the next.

Kariya changed his sight to Iori, curious. Iori didn't seem to notice his partners distress at first. Kensuke hadn't called out for help, or even in pain. But when a tiny trail of blood escaped from Iori's nose, he finally seemed to realize something had gone horribly wrong.

"Ken? You ok over there man?"

There was no response, and the tough guy facade finally started to crack a little.

Back on the other plane, Kariya watched as Kensuke finally fought his way to his feet. The thread of energy between the two was visible, and he could see the lifeforce moving down it from Iori. Surviving off his partner's life... Kariya wondered if Kensuke even knew what he was doing.

Kensuke snarled at the beast, fumbling for another psych, instead of going for the healing pin hooked onto the hem of his shirt.

He never got the chance.

The psych glowed, ready to go, only to be disrupted by the tiny earthquakes the Noise created. Kensuke cursed quietly, trying to restart the progress... but the shockwave following the quake was quick.

Kensuke grunted softly, his eyes rolling back before he fell. He never touched the ground, dissipating into Static and Soul as he dropped.

Kariya could feel the shudder as Iori was forcibly yanked from the alternate plane, appearing in the cloud of staticy mist that was once his partner. Blood was dribbling from his nose, his eyes haunted and shocked.

The scream of impotent anguish and rage was something Kariya was very used to, but even now he couldn't help the tiny drop in his gut when he heard it. Every time. Every single time.

"Game isn't over yet, buddy." He pointed, Iori's gaze following his to the rampaging Noise. Iori stared at it, and for a second seemed to consider just throwing himself at it. Wouldn't be the first time Kariya had seen it happen. Suicide by Noise was rather common for orphaned Players. Instead Iori turned, slowly, to face Kariya. Here it comes... the screaming and blame...

Instead there was a thrown baseball bat, aimed very skillfully at his face.

Kariya hissed, jerking to one side to avoid the sudden attack. The wood didn't hit, but the pulsing enraged energy surrounding it did. A tiny gash appeared on his face, blood seeping from it.

For a long moment everything was silent. Iori stared at him, a feral grin of triumph on his face. Kariya righted himself, slowly wiping the gore from his check. He stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Iori.

"...you broke the rules." Kariya muttered, staring at Iori blankly.

The gesture he got in return wasn't exactly polite.

Kariya chuckled softly, standing from his seat on the heating unit. As he did his wings, always so tiny and weak looking, spread open. Iori's half insane smirk dropped. He stood there, awestruck, as those wings seemed to...stretch.

The black lacework grew and arched, filling out and blocking the sun from their little patch of roof. They loomed over Kariya and Iori, casting the Reaper into shadow. His eyes gleamed in that sudden darkness, and the whites of his teeth, twisted into a smirk, were very, very bright.

Iori whimpered, dropping to his knees. His eyes were huge and filled with a basic animal terror. A mouse under the shadow of the hawk.

He really didn't seem to notice when the Noise's trunk burst from his chest, scattering his Soul into flickering Static.

"Gameover." Kariya's voice purred from the shadow.

As the shattered Souls began to dissipate, Kariya stepped out from the dark patch, his wings once again small. The shadow vanished as he left it, as if it was never there to begin with. He reached out to the flickering static, pulling a tiny bit to himself. A sigh escaped him, his eyes rolling back. His claim for erasing them, the energy every Reaper needed to stay alive themselves. He hated the term 'points', it seemed so... droll. His wings fluttered slightly with the rush of it, his own Soul growing just a bit.

THIS was why he had stayed in the field for so long. The struggle. The need to be part of this grand process of predator and prey. Of evolution and refinement.

He laughed lightly to himself. Gaining points always made him think he was a poet. Maybe that was why he stayed on the sidelines more often then not nowadays. Let others take the limelight. Like-

"GrrrRAH!"

"Hello Uzuki!" He called out, pressing his pin and dissipating the Noise. Uzuki stormed up to him, a look of pure rage twisting her face. He continued to grin at her. He knew it wasn't him she was wanting blood from. Not this time anyway.

"Those little...punks!!" She shrieked, finally reaching him. "I had them, I HAD THEM! What kind of freak _climbs the side of a building?!_"

Kariya sighed, shrugging. "The kind that finds a pin that works out of the Noise zone? Stop freaking out about it. I took care of it."

She growled a little more, letting out some obvious frustration. Kariya cocked his head to one side, rolling the sucker over his teeth. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Uzuki glared at him, crossing her arms over her breasts. "...yeah."

Yes. It was times like this that he HATED his job.

Playing Game Master was not his idea of a good time.

He pinched his nose, pushing his glasses up a little as he did. If it wasn't one thing it was another. This had to be the most hectic week of his career. He would of even preferred the madness of three months ago to this. "Alright. Give it to me, I can take it."

"We lost another pair of Players last night. Gone. Poof. The Support guard we set to watch them is gone too... Sir." She reported, gritting her teeth at the last bit.

Ok. So maybe the job had a _few_ perks.

"Alright then... How about we play a game?" He smirked at her, pushing his glasses back up.

"Grrrr... Be serious idiot. If the Composer comes back and everything's falling apart it'll be our heads!" Uzuki frowned at Kariya, looking about ready to smack him.

"Heh. Calm down Princess. Let's go check out the crime scene. See what's there to see." He strolled to the edge of the building, taking a long look over the sky line. It...really was beautiful. It was why he had agreed to take this job, even if just temporarily. It was just until the Composer refilled the Reaper ranks. Really. Kariya smiled slightly, before walking off the edge.

He flicked his wings open, shuddering at the feel of wind flowing between the lace-work, letting the concentrated Imagination that made them up take affect, slowing his decent until he landed, still walking. Uzuki appeared next to him, having simply teleported down.

"Showoff." She snorted, taking the lead and heading up towards Miyashita Park.

Yes. There were days he loved his job.

* * *

As soon as he hit the Underpass, he knew something was horribly wrong.

It was quiet, for one thing. Even the passing cars seemed muted. There were no pedestrians. Nothing. Nothing but the giant graffiti tag on the wall.

And the hallow buzzing of stray Noise.

Kariya clicked his tongue in disapproval, walking up to the tag. It was the fourth day, and already they had lost twelve Players to unknown circumstance. Sure, accidents happened. Not every Player was erased by Noise or Harriers. Sometimes they hurt themselves, or stepped in front of a car, or, rarely, took each other out.

But even then the Soul was reabsorbed into Shibuya. Recycled. These Players were just...gone.

He was now starting to realize how truly BAD this whole situation was.

Kariya's fingers brushed the tag, and it was like grabbing an electric fence. His head rocked back, the cords in his neck straining. A low hiss escaped his teeth and his tiny wings spasmed.

It wasn't until a small clawed hand yanked on said wings that he was finally able to pull away.

"Yerraah!!" He squalled, jumping away from his partner and trying to reach around to tend his poor wings. That HURT!

"Oh stop whining! What were you thinking, touching it?!" Uzuki snarled, smacking him upside the head. Kariya rubbed at his wings, pouting a little, before bringing his fingers up to his face. He sniffed them, then licked the fingertips.

Uzuki just stared at him like he had gone fully off the deep end.

"Soul." He whispered, looking deadly serious for once. He could taste the residue from the 'paint'. This paint was...

"Players. This is what they do with the Players." He turned towards Uzuki, who looked shocked into silence. Almost.

"What?! What, they _turn them into paint? _That's nuts! What's the point?"

Kariya shrugged. But what ever was going on he was sure of one thing. This paint was made of Soul. And the easiest pure Soul was that of a Player.

He felt vaguely sick. Snagging Players while they were Sleeping just seemed hideously unfair. And the complete reconfiguring of Soul in this way was just...unnatural. He scowled, heading towards the park once again, where the Players had been put with their guard.

One of his men. Someone he was responsible for. This had to stop.

Uzuki jogged after Kariya, a look of shock and rage on her face. It took a lot for her partner to get so focused, and anything that could do that was more then enough to set her out for blood. Kariya as the GM was her chance to really move up, and like hell if she was going to let some unknown bastards ruin this for her.

When they reached the park, things just got weirder.

It was like a scene out of a horror movie. Splattered Soul covered the bridge, like dripping ethereal gore. The stone and graffiti was almost invisible under it all. And hovering all around the mess were Noise. Dozens of them. They were pulling them selves from their Marks to lap at the Soul, crooning and babbling at each other as their codes reformatted and grew at an alarming rate.

Uzuki raised a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. Kariya just stared.

Both of them had only heard about this from messengers. But the true sight was something neither were ready for.

Kariya stepped forward,tip-toeing over the bigger chucks. The Noise didn't make a move at him, though they did hiss and loom over their spoils like smaller creatures to a much more powerful predator. Kariya ignored them, shooing one of the smaller ones away, touching one of the splatters.

A brief image of a young woman with multicolored hair rolled over his mind. Yep. This was were the attack happened. Where the Players were Erased.

No. Not Erased. Reformatted. It the most painful and sickening way possible.

"Kariya? What the HELL happened here?"

He looked over at Uzuki, frowning. "You tell me. None of the Reapers we have left have the power to do this. And the Composer wouldn't be this messy. This was an outside job. But as for who and what? I ain't got a clue. Someone who knows that you can't destroy Soul, and that you can reformat it into just about anything, but who doesn't have the skill to do it cleanly. That's a lot of wriggle room right there..."

He trailed off, cocking his head to one side.

"Huh? What is it?" Uzuki called out to him. Kariya shushed her, cocking his head even more. He could..._hear _something. Something like the buzzing of the Noise, only fainter and deeper. What...?

"Do you hear that?" He whispered at Uzuki, who had made her way over once Kariya had oh-so-rudely hushed her.

"Hear what? The rocks rolling around in your skull?! We don't have time for-" She whispered right back, only to be ignored by Kariya as he stood up slowly. He tip toed over to the edge of the bridge, craning over to listen.

Yes. Definitely something down there. He gestured Uzuki over, a look of excitement on his normally relaxed face.

She listened, and this time she heard it.

"Noise?" She asked, not looking quite sure. No not Noise. But what else could it-

Uzuki wasn't a patient woman, and with a light grunt she vaulted herself over the edge of the bridge, dropping down to the grass below.

Kariya watched her go, a light chuckle escaping him. There were times he loved his partner. And when she was being reckless and crazy was very high on the list. He jumped up on to the edge of the bridge, and hopped down after her. If she was going to get eaten by some monstrous Noise, best that he be there to back her up.

But there wasn't any Noise.

Although what WAS there more than made up for any disappointment.

It was one Sho Minimimoto, crucifix bound to one of the bridge pillars, unconscious and looking a lot worse for the wear.

"We-hell..." Kariya drawled, unwrapping another sucker, "This just got a lot more interesting..."

* * *

A/N: I'm very sorry this chapter took so long. Had a hell of a time finding Kariya's voice. But once I did he was a lot of fun to write.

Thank you for all the kind reviews everyone. And thank you to a specific person for your con-crit of my writing. I hope my writing has improved due to it.

And don't worry, we'll get back to Neku and the others next chapter. Thank You!


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